Nowadays, most services provide APIs with their own formats, and sometimes multiple versions, which may change over time. But there is a universal API, with an excellent track record of stability and backward compatibility: XMPP!

In this talk, I'll show how XMPP can be more than just an Instant Messaging protocol, and how it can be an extremely powerful tool to access almost anything, from third-party networks (IM, microblogging, etc.) to file sharing, automation (IoT), and more.

I'll briefly explain how the XSF (XMPP Standards Foundation) is organized, how specifications are created, and why having a large number of XEPs (we are now in the 500 series) is not a bad thing—quite the opposite.

Next, I'll discuss some mechanisms of XMPP and demonstrate how they can be applied to a wide range of use cases.

I'll also show that you can use XMPP without having to deal with XML—you can use JSON from your software or other layers.

XMPP is a fantastic toolbox that can help you do almost anything. Let's dive into it and explore how it can help you achieve things simply, efficiently, and quickly.